'More Naked Than Flesh:' An Introduction to Writing The Erotic

What do ancient Sumerian poetry, Sappho, Anais Nin, dime-store novels about countesses and stable boys, the Marquis de Sade, the 1986 French novel Sphinx, and Harry Potter fanfiction all have in common? Answer: they’re all examples of erotica – writing comprised of narrative and explicit portrayals of sexual relationships, intended to arouse the reader. And they’re about to become part of your homework! This class will involve generative writing prompts, short reading assignments, and the how-to’s of writing erotic literature, taught by a writer who paid her electricity bill by ghostwriting paranormal and dystopian erotic fiction for a decade. If you’ve ever wanted to know how to write steamy love scenes, be bolder in your writing, and study the sensual, this is the class for you!

Please note: We’ll be looking at erotic content that addresses a wide range of gender presentations, body types, and identities. (Werewolves and ghosts are not out of the question here, and erotic writing is never politically neutral!) Please come prepared to have your notion of the erotic challenged, broadened, and pulled apart as we dive into the world of the bodily with our fellow classmates.